


Pack Street: The Howl

by MisterEAnon



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 06:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8045944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterEAnon/pseuds/MisterEAnon
Summary: Written for Thematic Thursday. Theme: Species specific customs.Betty hates howling. But tonight is special, so her Alpha has overridden her.She's not happy about it.





	Pack Street: The Howl

I hated howling.

I knew that was unexpected, what with me being a wolf and all. Al tried a few times to get me to join him in the rare moments he feels like starting one, but he can take his alpha-wolf bullshit and fuck right off.

Maybe I should make like Avo and leave the pack. Someday.

The night had barely started, and I was still thinking about it. And that's because today was… Some fuckin' wolf holiday or whatever. Some ancient tradition that dictated we all howl at the moon like assholes at once. And while Al let a lot of my bullshit slide, he WAS The Alpha, and I WAS the Beta. I knew I was going to have to participate tonight.

Fucking bullshit customs. I stuffed two packs of cigarettes into my pockets. I was gonna need both.

 

 

 

I ran into Avo pretty much first thing on my way out the door. She got up too fucking early for her gym days, I always thought.

The smirk she gave me made me wish I had taken three packs today instead of just two.

“Hey, Betty,” the golden wolf offered. There was a certain snark in her tone I couldn't quite name. I wasn't the fuckin' librarian around here.

“Avo,” I grunted in return.

She raised an eyebrow. “Huh. Already sour about tonight, huh? What's Al gonna think?” Fucking bitch was just winding me up.

It was working. “Fuck you *and* Al,” I grumbled as I brushed past her. I could feel her fucking smirk growing without looking.

Fuck tonight.

 

 

 

I ran into the yarn ball in the lounge room. I had no idea why- It's not like the guy ever WANTED to socialize with us filthy preds, right?

I pawed over and threw myself on the couch he was sitting on. He jumped as my head landed in his lap.

I let my arm drape down over the front of the couch. “Hey, yarn-ball.”

He sighed. “Hey, Betty. Should I ask why you're in my lap?”

I mimicked it. “Should I ask why you're bitching at me about being in your lap? Lay off, Cormo. Lounge room's for everyone,” I grumbled, idly reaching around. Yeah, there was the remote. I figured he was sitting here for a reason.

He glanced down at me. “You seem… Less social then usual.” I was surprised he could tell.

“Bite me, wannabite,” I grumbled. Fuck, the TV remote's batteries were dead. I took 'em out, shook em a little and put 'em back in, switching the battery's places. Yeah, that'll get a little more juice out of them. I started flipping through channels.

For some reason, he didn't take the hint. I missed the days when he'd be too busy… Doing whatever the fuck he did in his room when he didn't want to hang out with us. “Uh… Is now a bad time?”

I glanced away from the TV to glare at him. “Yes, now's a bad time. This entire fucking day is godawful.”

He actually seemed a little concerned. I would probably be a little touched, if I wasn't so set on being grumpy. I was determined to hate today, because today was fucking stupid. “Okay. Why is today so awful?” he continued, glancing up to see what channel my random flicking had landed on.

I snorted. “It's some fucking traditional wolf holiday where we all shout at the moon like morons and earn a 350$ penalty,” I grumbled.

He raised his eyebrows at me. “…Really?”

I rolled over, using his lap for a pillow. Less wool down there, but still enough to be comfortable. “Well, since it's tradition they wave the noise pollution fine for the event, but… Yeah, basically.”

He seemed to think that over. “Why does that make today terrible?”

I huffed. “Because while I can usually tell the howlers to go fuck themselves, I have to join in today. Al's rules. And it's just as fucking stupid to howl at the moon as it looks like,” I grumbled.

He seemed to take a moment to process that, as well. Sheep probably thought there were some deep predator reasons that made it make sense. I always thought it was retarded, so obviously not.

I saw motion across the room. Charlie had been so still, I hadn't noticed her. “Hey, Betty,” called the fox. “Only an hour to midnight. You should get going.”

I flipped her off. She was right, though, so I pulled my head out of Remmy's lap and sat up, stretching. “Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled. Me and the other poor fuckers dragged along by their Alphas were gonna congregate in the park to make fools of ourselves in public.

Fun.

 

 

 

Al was there, of course. He hadn't walked me over or anything, he just told me to be there and expected me to show up. Fuckin' prick.

Just five minutes to midnight now. The public park was chock-full of wolves. Just about anywhere was 'fine' for this, traditionally speaking, just so long as everyone was together. So, people started doing it at the park.

Fucking packed, too. It was crowded. And soon it was going to be noisy, too. Everyone loved noisy and crowded, right?

It was time. I thought about slinking off, but Al gave me The Look and I stayed put, grumbling. I lifted my half-forgotten cigarette from where it dangled between my fingers, and took a draw.

The clock struck midnight. Dozens of individually set alarms went off on phones and watches. Dozens upon dozens of voices all cried out into the night.

Mine reluctantly among them.

It wasn't quite what I expected, though. I mean, yeah. We still got together in the middle of the night to shout at a space rock because wolves had the tradition of getting together in the middle of the night to shout at the space rock once a year.

That was still retarded.

But… Well, I felt something I hadn't expected, raising my voice in harmony and unison with so many other wolves.

Community. Togetherness. Like a giant, singular pack, if just for one long, sustained moment.

I think I got it. It wasn't something I could put into words, but I got it.

The howl ended. I started to shuffle off.

“You seemed pretty into it at the end,” called Al pointedly. I knew what he was getting at.

“Go fuck yourself, Al,” I called back, flipping him off.

I understood. But Al could still go fuck himself. He might have been my Alpha, but that didn't mean he could run my life-

I bumped into a pair of twins. Or rather, they bumped into me, brushing past me without a second look as they walked past. I twisted around to glare at them. What the hell was the big hurry--

They draped themselves all over Al from either side. “Well hey, big boy/Hot stuff,” they purred out in unison.

Oh, hell no.

They were rubbing him down sensually with their paws, obviously seducing him. It wasn't working, given the way Al was just staring at them with his eyebrow steadily raising. They kept going. “Now, what's a stud like you doing without a real woman to keep you company?”

Oh, HELL no.

I growled, stalking forward. “Get your paws off my Alpha,” I rumbled at them, fur bristling. “Can't you two go practice your synchronized whoring on someone else?”

One of them glanced at the other. “Is she-?”

The other shook their head. “No way. Gotta be a beta. Hey, Beta-Bitch, fuck off. Let your Alpha choose a real woman.”

There it was again. What, did these bitches not think I was real enough for them? Oh, I'd show them something fucking real.

I growled a hell of a lot louder, baring my teeth. I could feel my arms tensing, claws poised to tear. “Get your slut-ass paws off Al or so help me-”

“Betty,” Al spoke finally. I glanced at him, even though I remained tense. “We're leaving.”

The Slut Combo still draped all over him cooed pitifully, as if begging him to stay. “Aww. Can't you stay a while, big guy? She doesn't have to go… You can order her to just watch, if you're into that.” One of them fucking winked at me.

They wanted me to sit back and fucking watch as Al got into a threesome? I didn't have words for that.

I didn't even have thoughts for that, either. I just leaped, claws extended and teeth bared-

Al pushed the girls out of the way and caught me. “NO, Betty,” he commanded. “We're leaving.”

He had to hold me back the entire time he dragged me out of the park.

 

 

 

Fucking hell.

I wasn't straining against Al, anymore. But he was still holding me. I slumped into his chest.

“Fuck,” I muttered. I think that summed up how I felt pretty well. “You should have let me at them.”

He rumbled gently, pulling me a little closer as we walked. “Not our pack,” he reminded me. Yeah, I know. Infighting in a pack was fine, but outside of a pack it was still basically just assault.

I knew Al was right. I still hated it. And I hated the fact that I got so worked up over him.

I sighed, leaning against him. “I knew this whole event was gonna be terrible,” I bitched quietly. “And you don't have to hold me the whole way home, dick.”

He didn't let go. Because he knew I wasn't asking him to let me go.

I leaned against him the whole way home.


End file.
